text:
Red Hat Bugzilla – Bug 5336
Pine consumes all memory in specially-crafted e-mail.
Last modified: 2008-05-01 11:37:51 EDT
I wouldn't call the above URL crafted in any special way
as it was a bounced SPAM mail to the postmaster, but I
believe it could, in theory, be done.
Basically Pine consumed 300 MB of memory upon viewing this
message. It increases slowly and seems to be due to the
HTML rendering code. I've sent this to the PINE maintainers
but haven't had a reply. The only way out is to have
another console kill it.
This is fixed in pine 4.21.


text:
With Spring season here, it's hard not to notice all the greenery and super blooms that have been flourishing throughout all of Southern California. This salad is my favorite "green" salad – refreshing, tangy, crunchy and light. The vinaigrette used for this salad combines fresh lemon juice, red wine and apple cider vinegar which compliments the ingredients. This salad is perfect paired with a crisp flavor profiled chardonnay. Oohh la la la!
INGREDIENTS (makes 4-6 medium servings)
- 2 organic bulbs of fennel
- 2 granny smith apples
- 1 stalk of celery – will use 6 ribs from the stalk
- 1 package of pea sprouts
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- salt&pepper to taste
- Wash & Chop – wash produce, dry thoroughly.
- Fennel – This recipe taught me how to appreciate and use fennel. There are three parts to fennel 1) the bulb, 2) the stalks, 3) the fronds. Trim off the stalks and the fronds until you are left with the bulb. In this recipe, you will use the bulb and the stalks. Use this helpful website with pictures to learn how to chop. You'll thank me.
- Granny apples -Chop apple into four equal pieces and slice into semi-thin pieces. Set aside.
- Celery ribs – Slice into semi-thin pieces. Set aside.
- Pea sprouts – Slice into half. Set aside.
- Toss & Taste
- Mix sliced produce and vinaigrette mixture together.
- Add salt&pepper to taste.
- Wait & Refrigerate & Serve
- Place in the refrigerator for 4 hours to chill. Serve with some toast and a glass of your preferred white wine.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The Tories' failure to tackle the cost-of-living crisis has cost the Exchequer £116.5 billion – leading to higher borrowing and broken promises on the deficit.
The price tag, equivalent to almost £4,000 for every taxpayer, is based on new research from the House of Commons Library being published by the Labour Party.
Since the Tories and Liberal Democrats came to power in 2010, income tax receipts have fallen short of forecasts by more than £66 billion. National Insurance Contributions are £25.5 billion lower than expected. Spending on social security is £25 billion higher than planned.
The most recent Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings found that in the last year, full-time wages grew by just 0.1% – the smallest rate of annual growth since the series began and well below the rate of inflation. Real median wages for all employees have fallen by more than £1,600 a year since 2010.
Over the course of this Parliament working people are set to see the biggest fall in wages of any Parliament since 1874-1880. And it's set to be the first time since the 1920s that people are worse off at the end of the Parliament than they were at the beginning.
There are currently more than 1.3 million people working part-time because they can't get a full-time job – an increase of almost 250,000 since the General Election. This failure for people to be able to work the hours they need means they are ever more reliant on tax credits and benefits to help make ends meet.
The high level of spending in the welfare budget is a result of the coalition government's failure to tackle the root causes of the cost-of-living crisis: low pay, stagnant salaries, and soaring housing costs.
Tackling the cost-of-living crisis is not separate from tackling the deficit. It is an essential part of balancing the books.
Patrick Hall
Labour parliamentary candidate for Bedford & Kempston


text:
Lucy Decoutere: Actress Alleges Sexual Abuse By CBC Radio Host
Actress Lucy DeCoutere is the first to step forward and reveal her identity as one of the eight women accusing CBC Radio host Jian Ghomeshi of sexual assault.
CBC Radio host Jian Ghomeshi, 47, was fired on Oct. 26 amid allegations of sexual abuse. While Jian blamed the CBC's discrimination of what he claimed was simply a BDSM lifestyle, eight women have now come forward with their own claims of sexual assault. All of the women chose to remain anonymous until now — actress Lucy DeCoutere, 44, has bravely decided to tell her story.
Lucy DeCoutere: Jian Ghomeshi Sexually Abused Me — CBC Host Under Investigation
"He did take me by the throat and press me against the wall and choke me," Lucy told CBC radio show The Current. "And he did slap me across the face a couple of times.
"He did not ask if I was into it. It was never a question. It was shocking to me. The men I have spent time with are loving people," she said.
Lucy and Jian first met at the Banff Television Festival in 2003; the two exchanged pleasantries and contact info, and met up again when she was in Toronto not long after. They had dinner, and went back to his place. That was when the totally not consensual abuse allegedly took place.
"When it came from smooching to smacking, there was no build-up. I didn't tell him to stop because I was so surprised, I was really gobsmacked.
"I didn't leave right away… I felt like if I left it would be impolite, which is crazy."
Jian Ghomeshi Has Been Accused Of Sexual Abuse By Eight Women So Far
Lucy is not the only woman to make shocking claims, though she is the only one to put her name to the allegations. Jian, even removed from his position, is a pretty powerful force in Canadian media with a lot of supporters.
As one woman anonymously revealed to the Toronto Star, Jian allegedly threw her forcefully against a wall; she eventually performed oral sex "to get out of there." The woman in question is in her mid-20s, and an employee of the CBC; she was too afraid to accuse Jian because she "felt like Jian was CBC god."
The CBC are actively investigating at least one case of sexual abuse, in which Jian allegedly told a female co-worker that he wanted to "hate f**k" her.
Jian claimed in a Facebook post following his firing that he is the target of a "jilted ex-girlfriend" a "freelance writer" out to get him. He believes that the CBC fired him unlawfully, and he is suing for a whopping $55 million for defamation and breach of trust.
Lucy's claims and the claims of the aforementioned anonymous woman are only the tip of the iceberg. For more, see the claims of the "freelance writer" of which Jian speaks, and see also the claim made by one woman who alleges that he choked her with a belt. Furthermore, two women have stepped forward alleging that Jian has a teddy bear that he turned to face away from their activities.
HollywoodLifers, what do you think about Lucy's claims? Do you think that Jian will really be awarded $55 million? Let us know.
— Amanda Michelle Steiner
Follow @AmandaMichl


text:
Home - Products - Car Diagnostic Software - VVDI2 BMW CAS4+ Function Authorization Service
VVDI2 BMW CAS4+ Function Authorization Service
Item No. SV86-4
0 stars, 0 reviews.
In Stock
6% OFF for all products !
- Shipping:
Free Shipping
Express Shipping Service
Estimated delivery time: 3-5 days »
- Weight:
- Returns:
- Return for refund within 30 days,buyer pays return shipping.Read details »
- Product Details
- Reviews
- Write a Comment
- Related Products
- After-sales service
If you only buy VVDI2 basic function, but wanna get the functions for BMW CAS4+, you can buy this service.
VVDI2 BMW CAS4+ Function Authorization Service
If you just buy SV86-B, you want to get the functions for BMW CAS4+, you have to buy authorization for BMW OBD SV86-3 first
Tips: No need shipping, after you pay this service, we will activate the authorization for you.
Find us on your phone:
WiFi TOPDON ArtiPad I Tablet OBDII Diagnostic Tool
Lonsdor JLR-IMMO OBD Key Programmer
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us, below is our contact information:
Whatsapp: +86 18205947686
Live Support: Chat with us online
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Skype: OBDII365.com
Maybe you also like ...
US$299.0025% off


text:
Art Galleries (0)
Chats and Forums (0)
Commercial and Professional (0)
Communities (0)
Contests (0)
Directories (0)
Education (0)
Equipment and Services (0)
Events (0)
History (0)
Magazines and E-zines (0)
Museums (0)
Organizations (0)
Photographers (0)
Photojournalism (0)
Reference (0)
Resources (0)
Shopping (0)
Stock (0)
Techniques and Styles (0)
Web Rings (0)
Weblogs (0)
|college online game design
The Art Institute of Pittsburgh - Online Division is the leader in online creative arts education. Part of the renowned Art Institutes system of schools, with more than 45 campus locations across the country, we build on more than 85 years of excellence in delivering 16 academic programs including online graphic design, photography, advertising, fashion & retail, web design degrees and more.http://www.aionline.edu/game-art-design-degree/
|Photo Background Cleaning
Asia's largest company, Prepress India provides Image clipping path services, professional photo retouching & Editing services, raster to vector conversion, background removal .and Photoshop Serviceshttp://www.prepressindia.com/
|Product Images Enhancement
Let your photos create the magic of your dream with us! Outsourceimages2india dedicated in Photo Retouching, Photo Editing, 360 Panorama Services & more services related to Photos Enhancement.http://www.outsourceimages2india.com/
No News in this category.
No Articles in this category Add an Article now.


text:
Game Times Set for Remaining Husky Men's Hoop Games
Feb. 19, 2007
SEATTLE - Washington's final regular-season men's basketball game against UCLA has been selected by CBS Sports to be televised live on Saturday, March 3 at 11 a.m., the Pac-10 Conference announced Monday. The Huskies host the first-place and fourth-ranked Bruins at Bank of America Arena.
Washington's preceding home game, against USC on Thursday, March 1, was not selected for television and the game time has been set for 7 p.m.
The Pac-10 did not announce the game times and television schedule for the final week of the regular season until today so its broadcast partners could provide the best possible matchups.
The other Pac-10 game that will be televised on March 3 is the Arizona at Stanford contest that airs on ABC at 12:30 p.m.
On Thursday, March 1, FSN will televise the UCLA at Washington State game at 7:30 p.m.
Three of Washington's four remaining games will be televised, including both games on this week's road trip. The Huskies visit Oregon State, Thursday, Feb. 22 for a 6 p.m. game that airs on FSN Northwest.
On Saturday, Feb. 24, the Huskies invade McArthur Court in Eugene to meet 23rd-ranked Oregon. The game will be televised at 7:30 p.m. on FSN.
Washington (16-10) is in seventh place in the Pac-10 standings with a 6-8 record. The Huskies seek to gain ground on fifth-place Oregon and Arizona, both of which sport 8-7 conference records.
Thursday, February 22
6:00 p.m. PST -- Washington at Oregon State, FSN Northwest
Saturday, February 24
7:30 p.m. PST -- Washington at Oregon, FSN
Thursday, March 1
7:00 p.m. PST -- USC at Washington, No TV
Saturday, March 3
11:00 a.m. PST -- UCLA at Washington, CBS
TODAY | 5:00pm PTLive
Airing on:
- Pac-12 Network
- Pac-12 Oregon
TODAY | 7:00pm PTLive
Airing on:
- Pac-12 Network
- Pac-12 Los Angeles
Pac-12 PlaylistTODAY | 9:00pm PTLive


text:
Brooke Romney: Why we are taking the fun out of life
Ginanlsn Las Vegas, NVNov. 1, 2017 4:16 p.m.
Yes, yes and yes! This is perfect!! I've thought this forever! It reminds me of an upcoming summer break I was stressing over, because I didn't have money for fun and didn't know what I'd do with the kids. My backyard was in desperate need of love. I prayed one day or many days over what to do that summer. The thought came to work in the backyard with the kids. I was surprised and maybe annoyed at first but we did it. We probably worked in our yard for three summers and my kids still speak about fondly. Thank you!
DarlingFinn Nashville, TNAug. 6, 2017 12:22 a.m.
Why can't you teach your kids that work is fun? I have fun when I go to work, and my son and I have fun gardening, straightening up the house, etc. He actually says, "Mom, this is fun!" If you teach kids to enjoy working, they can see life as fun AND be productive!
CaptScooby San Antonio, TXJuly 30, 2017 9:02 p.m.
I'm not sure why so many people think life has to be this great big ole ball of whatever mess they create. My kids are perfectly happy with reading books, going to baseball practice, playing with each other and being lazy. We don;t do "play dates", we don't do "keeping up with the Jones'" or anything of the sort. I'm disabled and am in a wheelchair, my kids understand that daddy cannot and won't do things like other families because of of and they're fine with that. Do I wish that all the money we spend on activities was worth every penny, of course I do, but hey, once it's gone it's gone. We plan our trips to Costco, Walmart, etc to go walk around and browse because it'll get the kids out and about, we pick up whatever we need and then the family heads back home to watch a movie. Life needs to be simple.
Nintendo Sandy, UTAug. 17, 2015 3:49 p.m.
I love having fun and my favorite thing to do is to play video games (hence my screen name) but life is all about work first and fun 2nd. If you can teach them that they should turn out well in life and be able to make a living first and have the fun come 2nd. I sure wish someone taught me that sooner in life, it sure would have made my 20's smoother. Lol
jashover Parker, COJuly 11, 2015 11:31 a.m.
Spot on. I am surprised there was any negative feedback to this, I can only assume those readers did not read the article in its entirety. It shows both balance and wisdom. There is no "un-fun-ness" about it; the author still believes in fun and enjoying life, but is simply emphasizing the need to teach and show children that there's more to life than being entertained. Sorely needed in today's society of constant entertainment and low work/productivity for children as compared with eras past (such as when working on the family farm doing early morning chores was a normal thing).
UtahTroutStalker draper, UTJuly 2, 2015 3:22 p.m.
Brook has amazingly white teeth!
CWJ Layton, UTJune 29, 2015 6:27 a.m.
Looking back, I'd say that my mom and dad never taught me that life would be fun, or that I would always be in a state of life where everything would be fun, but they did teach me to find ways to make the boring and mundane more enjoyable. I believe parents these days over indulge their children with instant gratification; an X-Box here, and I-phone there; trips to the splash pad, which are all good and well, but I was the ultimate decider on whether I had fun or not. It wasn't mom and dad's job to ensure that I had fun.
missieykay Preston, IDJune 28, 2015 6:59 p.m.
Oh I know what you mean. My niece and nephew and step kids get upset if they are not continually fed entertainment. I was thinking about the same thing, how these kids are frustrated when not having "fun". I myself am guilty of feeding that desire, to constantly have fun. I am glad to hear someone else notice the same problem.
I like your ideas of asking of what they did instead of if they had fun. I would like the kids I am with to learn to enjoy themselves and learning instead of being upset at not having fun.
Thank you for the post.
John Locke Ivins, , UTJune 27, 2015 12:49 p.m.
As a parent who raised two boys and two girls, with the assistance and support of a wonderful Wife, their Mother, I can understand this article and the point Mrs. Romney is making. At the ages of 16-18, all of our children had jobs in order to have extra money to "have fun,"and they learned skills that aided them in life. To me that is an acceptable balance.
My wife and I also have 19 Grandchildren, and out of that group, only three have found any success in working and developing skills. One is a Marine, now in Africa; one is a Manager of a Sports Bar, one a Manager in an electronics store, the last a legal secretary. They are all very smart and still very young. They learned responsibilities early in life, like their parents. The remaining are still having a lot of "fun," but as I discussed with my children, they all need to be more responsible, and not grow up thinking that they are entitled, to or are"owed" anything from anyone. We'll see.
bgl Santa Monica, CAJune 27, 2015 12:30 p.m.
"Did you learn something?"
"Did you feel productive?"
"Did you work hard?"
"Did you try your best?"
"Were you a good friend?"
"Did you try something new?"
"Did you push yourself?"
"Did you make someone's day better?"
"Did you add value?"
"Did you create something?"
"Did you grow?"
"Did you discover something?"
"Did you change the world today, even in a small way?"
If I came in from a game of Whiffle Ball and my mom asked me these, I think my response would be--"Hey Mom? I WAS having fun, but I'm not at this moment....."
K Mchenry, ILJune 26, 2015 9:33 p.m.
Mom of eight.
I think the mom feels entitled to having four boys who are accountable in their commitments to several different things almost all of her choosing. Heck it's entitlement that the kids have school, church activities, music, sports, hobbies... I wish people would get away from this notion that connects the word entitlement to money only. Entitlement is expecting the team coach to excuse your child from the game because you are overscheduled. Entitlement is expecting your kid to always be in a class with their best friend since preschool. Entitlement is only letting your kid have 30 minutes of unstructured time on a Tuesday because they had every other waking minute decided for them in which they were expected to perform for school, family, chores, music practice, homework, scouts, and tagging along to their brothers game.
KinCO Fort Collins, COJune 26, 2015 5:02 p.m.
Sometimes I despair over the reading comprehension ability of the American public when I read comments on these articles. People rail against things that were NOT said in the article, and they read things into the article that aren't there. And they so often take offense--usually at something the author didn't even say. I guess many of these comments function as a Rorschach test--they tell far more about the person writing the comment than about the referenced article.
Good job, Brooke. Kids will pay attention to the things we parents do. If we always ask if they are having fun, that will be come paramount. Helping them recognize the value of other things too--a job well done, concern that someone else has a good experience, looking for things to learn and do better--all these things make life truly fun. Often kids miss that important lesson if it's not pointed out to them.
Me Again Pleasant Grove, UTJune 26, 2015 8:55 a.m.
I'll be honest, the first mental image I had while reading this article was the scene near the beginning of "The Sound of Music" where the Von Trapp father calls his children to formation at the bottom of the stairs in their home. I really think what troubled me (and probably a number of the people who commented here) is comparing fun to drugs. I've never heard of anyone (outside of an addict) suggesting taking meth, crack or speed in moderation, so I think it gives the image of something that must be completely avoided. I think the author does get the right idea, that life isn't one continuous party after the other, but at the same time you can find fun in other activities. I do enjoy weed pulling more with either some fun music with good energy and rhythm or if some nut wants to come and help me, then we can also talk and have a good time together doing so. Between this and the article with the mom who didn't show strong emotion at sending their child out on a mission, the Desnews feels to be promoting pretentiousness rater than righteousness.
Tumbleweed Centerville, UTJune 25, 2015 9:03 p.m.
Work, learning, service to others all can be fun if you approach it with the right attitude.
435>801 Spanish Fork, UTJune 25, 2015 5:18 p.m.
Adam fell that men might be, and men are that they might have joy.......
I'm pretty sure that having fun is alright. Nothing brings me more joy, or makes me feel closer to heaven than hearing my kids laugh.
My 2 Bits Orem, UTJune 25, 2015 3:58 p.m.
I get what she is trying to say, but I think she is saying it wrong; and I think there is additional perspective. Life SHOULD be about having fun, but fun isn't always expensive, or done on vacation or staycations. My boys are taught that fun comes not only through those things, but in learning and serving. When my kids come home from school and they haven't had fun, and their answer is, "because the teacher is always yelling at us, or kids are mean, or I couldn't pay attention," then I have asked the right question. Most times their answer is awesome, followed with a small success they felt, or even better a success they saw someone else have. Life is fun! We have to stop getting bogged down in guilt and sorrow. We should see the good and lift each other, and in that we should find fun. And if our children can't fun, then they need to have their priorities re-situated. This article would be better written if she redifined fun.
kolob1 sandy, UTJune 25, 2015 3:05 p.m.
There is nothing wrong with a child asking for some fun in his/her prayers. What is wrong is an adult asking for the opposite in their prayers. Life should be fun. Life's chores and burdens should be measured by the fun scale.
MinidokaKid Tarrant, TXJune 25, 2015 2:57 p.m.
p.s. I do freely admit that the title Brooke chose for her article has probably lead to many of the critical or opposing comments posted. Title writers do have a penchant for wording them in a way to stimulate interest in the readers, but I often find them to be at least misleading if not misguided.
Brave Sir Robin San Diego, CAJune 25, 2015 2:52 p.m.
"Why is Utah the leading state, THE LEADING STATE, in anti-depressant use?"
Because we have the highest percentage of insured people and people who have access to healthcare, so they tend to get their depression treated instead of just "dealing with it." But that's beside the point.
Digressing, I've noticed that several people have mentioned service being fun. Service isn't always fun. Fun leads to happiness, but meaningful service leads to joy. Learn the difference between happiness and joy - there is one.
Also, LDS youth leaders tend to fall into the "fun" trap. Remember, your job is not to give the kids fun, it's to get them to feel the spirit and be converted. If you have fun along the way, great. But fun isn't the central purpose of youth activities, and yes, apostles and prophets have confirmed what I just said.
MinidokaKid Tarrant, TXJune 25, 2015 2:48 p.m.
ste7000, Finally, a rational comment about the truth in Brooke's article. I wholeheartedly agree with her thoughts on this matter. It is my opinion that her point was that it is NOT wise for a parent to ensure that their children are emotionally feeling "fun" 24x7x365. That approach, in fact, would lead to a gross misunderstanding and mis-calibration of expectations about the realities of life. Kids who may be raised with this mis-calibrated set of expectations due to an over-protective parent that immediately intervenes the nanosecond her/his child senses an emotion that is not "FUN" is doomed to experience a paralyzing shock of emotions, and will wilt in the face of life's realities and would quickly start looking for someone to blame for their perceived misfortunes. Such parents would be doing them a huge disservice. Brooke never said anything about ripping "FUN" out of her children's lives, but rather more wisely pumping "JOY" into them instead. ROCK ON BROOKE!!!
K Mchenry, ILJune 25, 2015 1:12 p.m.
She is describing an over scheduled and over structured lifestyle. There isn't enough time to play when you are always on at church, school, practice, at a family event. That is why the kids want the activity to be fun. There is no down time and the brain needs that. Hold the accountable doesn't sound like taking out the stress but adding to it.
Mormoncowboy Provo, UtJune 25, 2015 11:43 a.m.
I don't know Grannie...I see a manufactured photo? What I read in the article is a whole lot of need for control. Kids need to be guided and coached, not controlled and forced. They are not our "people" to create, they are their own people who need guidance and love. On the flip side, I do see parents who do the opposite, as opposed to trying to control their kids they allow themselves to be controlled by their kids, where the entire family culture and lifestyle revolves around Mom and Dad accommodating the activities of their kids. If that is what is meant by fun then I can agree with the need to reduce that accommodation, but not by replacing it with pretentious brute force "tough love" theoretical parenting billed as wisdom.
Mormoncowboy Provo, UtJune 25, 2015 11:36 a.m.
My mission President gave me some advice that I really liked. There was a trend among some missionaries to try and outperform others. If the handbook said get out of bed by 6:00, they got up at 5:00, and then would find ways to push their views on others, kind of like the emaciated public fasters that Jesus criticized. My MP said, "you know, the Gospel is already by design hard to live. We shouldn't make it our job to make it harder by imposing our own made up rules". That's how I read this article.
Mormoncowboy Provo, UtJune 25, 2015 11:36 a.m.
I can't disagree with the values of being productive or being a good friend, but I am confused why these folks think it has to be one or the other. It is a puritan way of thinking that these values are necessarily in conflict with iPhones or "media" (our favorite nebulous enemy). The last message I would want to send to my kids is "I don't care". The authors criticize the manufactured "fun" that they have suddenly become superior to and then proceed to tell us how they intend to manufacture these "stronger" relationships with their kids. It still sounds like manufacturing to me?
Mom of Eight Las Vegas, NVJune 25, 2015 9:10 a.m.
I don't think that the right word for what this mom is describing is "fun". The right word for her kids (and many other kids) is "entitled". What she is describing in this article is the life and attitude of entitled children. It is important to teach our children to enjoy working hard and to serving others. In other words to have fun working and serving. Having fun is a good thing. Being entitled is not. Those are two very different things in my opinion.
USAlover Salt Lake City, UTJune 25, 2015 9:10 a.m.
Why is Utah the leading state, THE LEADING STATE, in anti-depressant use?
True Believer Utah, UTJune 25, 2015 8:34 a.m.
I have a metaphor that I have used to teach young adults and teens over the years. Life is not a Love boat, or carnival cruise floating around endlessly partying and docking occasionally for even more adventures and fun. While there are plenty of adventures and get things to be seen and experienced along the way there are also hazards and challenges we need to be aware of. Life can be likened more to a Naval Vessel that is prepared and practiced to meet those challenges by having a stated goal and mission. Whether it is mother nature in the form of storms as we will all face storms in life, or challenges that come about as a result of aggression, work, and even sometimes play. Why is this so important for these youth to understand? Because they are forming expectations and because the world has many snares that can cause harm or even early death. While the Navy ship is but a snapshot of life in it's many varieties it is visual enough to get across nan environment of continual hyper electronic stimulation. Which also is like a drug and the subject of a whole other talk.
mpschmitt Boston, MAJune 25, 2015 7:41 a.m.
Joseph Smith once said that if you always have a bow strung tight, it will lose it's spring. He once told a friend for whom he was concerned to have a bit more fun in his life, and said that if he didn't, he would die. This friend later did die an early death.
Children instinctively want to play, and rejoice in each day. As adults, if we're not careful, we can lose that innate characteristic and become "all about business". Finding the right balance between "wholesome recreational activities" and the rest of our duties is a must for a truly happy life. There is value in fun. There is value in hard work. Often they are one in the same thing. Rarely is something truly enjoyable achieved without some work and preparation on our part.
"Wholesome recreation is part of our religion, and a change of pace is necessary, and even its anticipation can lift the spirit." ~ Ezra Taft Benson
Howard Beal Provo, UTJune 24, 2015 11:15 p.m.
There is a time and a season and for children, yes, life should be fun and stimulating. When they're 50 they can stress out and have ulcers...
B ob Richmond, CAJune 24, 2015 11:01 p.m.
The author listed the problem and her plans to fix it. Nothing's been done yet. Hopefully she'll write again and let us know how things worked out.
ste7000 Grantsville , UTJune 24, 2015 10:59 p.m.
I think most of the negative comments come from a misunderstanding of the author's use of the word "fun." She isn't saying she's taking the enjoyment out of her kids lives. Just the opposite! I agree with the sentiment in her writing, which I believe is meant to say that kids do not need entertainment for the sake of being entertained. They do not need days to be filled with never-ending activities designed to keep them comfortable and smiling. Kids need to learn that real enjoyment and "fun" happens when you work hard, accomplish something, and reap the benefits of that! Rock on Romney family. I think you're onto something great
UtahBlueDevil Durham, NCJune 24, 2015 8:21 p.m.
Again - I am not sure why any of the activities that the author enumerates are mutually exclusive of "having fun". I can honestly say I have a job that most of the time is fun. When working in the yard together my kids and I have fun. When we are working on their Scout advancements, we have fun. Even when we do service for others - we have fun. Maybe not always the same kind of fun as riding a roller coaster, but it is still fun.
Work, doing good, doing the right thing.... can and should be fun.
1aggie SALT LAKE CITY, UTJune 24, 2015 8:21 p.m.
Form the beginning of man--(at least since I was born), a common lament of kids is "I'm bored, I have nothing to do." Some parents reply, "well, I can think of lots of chores you can do." Other parents might respond with something they did for fun when they were young--which is usually quickly dismissed as "stupid." Other parents may feel the need to create activities, though usually the kids figure something out--or not. Different families have different levels of energy. Some adults are high energy--always looking for "fun" and social activities while other adults may enjoy a slower more relaxed pace which is reflected in the family environment.
Somehow it usually works out despite our parental tendency to over-analyze.
donlehnhof Salem, UTJune 24, 2015 4:58 p.m.
CaliCougar... She DID talk about balance:
"We love to play sports, take walks, visit the theater, attend concerts, hike, play games, swim, watch movies and just be together. But this year we will work hard together too."
MrSparkle Canada, 00June 24, 2015 4:57 p.m.
This gist of this story is: we weren't born to be entertained. Not the purpose of life (based on what I know).
We have to be active participants in this life. Some times the scenery is amazing and sometimes the scenery is monotonous...and sometimes we are too busy shoveling coal to notice...lol
Let's enjoy the journey the best we can...cope with it when we have to, and be grateful for it at the end of the trip.
marxist Salt Lake City, UTJune 24, 2015 4:21 p.m.
Oh come on now. We must let kids be kids. They will learn soon enough that for most of us, life is about doing what you have to do rather than doing what you'd like to do.
Danny Chipman Lehi, UTJune 24, 2015 3:38 p.m.
Mary Poppins would be so disappointed in you. XD
"In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun."
Personally, I like to wish everyone to have the kind of day they deserve.
truth in all its forms henderson, NVJune 24, 2015 3:37 p.m.
the author must be a liberal they tend to take the fun out of everything.
dallasmax LIttle Elm, TXJune 24, 2015 3:33 p.m.
I guess I get it. But, having fun is also something that has too be learned. Turning dull tasks into fun challenges is an art. For children who lean toward being introverted and morose, teaching them how to enjoy fun can save their lives. The happiest people I know are fun to be around. Seriousness is highly over rated.
sockpuppet Provo, UTJune 24, 2015 2:42 p.m.
When I was a full time missionary, I was asked to serve in various leadership positions. Whenever I had to present training to fellow elders and sisters, my mantra was "If you're serving a mission and you're not having fun, you're not doing it right".
There is fun to be had in the daily service and daily routine we preform. It is crucial to life that we find humor in every situation, don't get worked up over the little things, and choose to be happy.
Fun is an important aspect of life. Even neccesary to survival. Lack of understanding and poor parenting demonstrated in this article.
grannie Santa Clara, UTJune 24, 2015 12:58 p.m.
I applaud the author and her article. It was balanced and perceptive and it is evident from the family photos that this is a joyful family. "Fun" implies shallow, fleeting and ultimately unsatisfying experiences. Joy and happiness and recreation are not in that category. I cringe whenever people ask ( after serving very unfun but life changing missions) " Was your mission fun?????" This good Mom did the right thing in perceiving the direction her children were headed and thinking it through. I admire her determination to make life much more meaningful for her children than just one fun thing after another ( even if the "fun" is balanced with chores, the reward for which is more " fun". )
kiddsport Fairview, UTJune 24, 2015 12:16 p.m.
I never had the problem with my kids complaining they were bored because that quickly was followed by an assigned chore. By the same token, they were always encouraged to get their assigned chores done quickly so we were able to go enjoy something fun.
I agree it's all about balance.
Random Redlands, CAJune 24, 2015 10:43 a.m.
It's not just your family; many things are billed as fun, and as soon as the fun stops, the whining begins. It was very liberating to tell my children, and those under my stewardship (i.e. Scouts) that I am not your cruise director, I am not your fun planner. YOU plan something and we'll go from there. Not everything is meant to be "fun" (Really, how much "fun" is earning your citizenship patch in Webelos? It's a lot of boring, yet necessary, discussion), some need to be done to be done.
Spellman789 Syracuse, UTJune 24, 2015 9:53 a.m.
I have had the same concern with my children when they have come home from one of the aforementioned 'fun' activities, and three minutes later, they are complaining, 'I'm so boooooored, this is the worst day ever!!!!!.' It's as if they are saying, 'Mom, I was not entertained EVERY SINGLE SECOND! How dare you let this happen!'
Of course, on the flip side, my kids do know how to work hard as well.
I think that we also need to remember that we need to teach our kids by example. Do we as parents spend all of our time that our children see us in front of the TV? On the computer/smartphone/kindle or other electronic device? I know that I do most of my work while my kids are at school, so they do not see it, and by the time they get home, I'm tired. I want to rest and unwind. Maybe I need to save some of that work for when they are home and can see me (or even better, do some WITH THEM), so that they can learn from my example as well.
CaliCougar Claremont, CaliforniaJune 24, 2015 9:44 a.m.
I think I understand what the author's underlying premise of this article is but she leaves out a critical word from my experience in raising three sons...."balance". I still subscribe to the old saying "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy". Life is amazing...you need to have fun along the way.
christoph Brigham City, UTJune 24, 2015 9:41 a.m.
To first comment maker, laziness, sin, worshiping fun, and wasting time cause guilt, not people. People care enough to warn.
Craig Clark Boulder, COJune 24, 2015 9:13 a.m.
Having fun isn't all that matters but it's not something to make a child feel guilty about.


text:
|News Articles
Snowdonia Food Market at Inigo Jones on Sunday, July 27th
Snowdonia Market which is a group of local food suppliers have agreed to come to Inigo Jones on 4 dates this Summer. The second date is on Sunday, July 27th.
John Lloyd from Inigo Jones said
Garden Table & Benches now in stock
Slate Table with 2 benches are now available, either ready assembled or in a flat pack at £499.00 complete including Value Added Tax collected from our Works.
These require virtually no maintenance as they do not warp shrink or rot.
St David Awards use engraved Welsh slate supplied by Inigo Jones
Inigo Jones supplied the engraved Welsh slate bases for the St David Awards.The trophies were designed by Gideon Peterson a sculptor from Pembrokeshire who asked Inigo Jones to supply the Welsh bases to his design.
The winners of the awards were announced at a Ceremony in Cardiff on March 13th 2014 and First Minister Carwyn Jones presented the Awards.
Winners from North Wales included Bryn Terfyl,Robin Jones, Jade Jones and the First Minister's special award was won by the Community of Machynlleth.
Other winners included Leigh Halfpenny, Warren Gatland, Ceris Mathews and Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson
Full list of winnner
The St David Awards is the national awards scheme recognising and celebrating the exceptional achievements of people in Wales.
Plaque for Abakhan Fabrics
Inigo Jones are delighted to have supplied a new engraved slate plaque for Abakhan Fabrics for their new cafe that was officially recently opened by Lord Barry Jones.
We also supplied some slate coasters for the event which depicts the heritage of the waterwheel at Llanerch-y-Mor.
Inigo Jones featured on BBC's Escape to the Country on January 8th
Jules Hudson heads to Wales to help a couple of keen walkers find a dream rural home in Snowdonia. Away from the property hunt,the couple call in at Inigo Jones to get an insight into how Welsh slate is prefabricated at the works into quality architectural, memorial, craft and landscape products.
The programme is on BBC One at 3.45pm on Wednesday January 8th.
Christmas 2013 at Inigo Jones
Inigo Jones are looking forward to a busy Christmas in 2013.
The last dates for web orders is Worldwide December 1st and for Europe and the UK December 16th.
However, as many of our products are made to order we would advise customers to order early to avoid disapointment.
The expected popular items this year are expected to be placemats where we have a large range of different sizes,lazy susans,picture frames,cake stands,jewellery and clocks.
Also bespoke nameplates make a perfect original present.
All these products are made in our factory from 500 million year old Welsh slate.
The shop and cafe is open over the Christmas holiday apart from Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day.
Snowdonia House shortlisted for the Daily Telegraph and Homebuilding and Renovating Magazine Awards.
Jacqui Bugden and Ian Crystal have been shortlisted for the Daily Telegraph and Homebuilding and Renovating Magazine Award.
They recently built an eco friendly house in the Snowdonia National Park.
Inigo Jones are delighted to have supplied them with Welsh Slate tiles which have been fixed behind the wood burner.
Roger Davis one of Inigo Jones' directors said we were delighted to have supplied Welsh slate for this project which will hopefully win the coveted award.
The picture shows the slate tiles behind the wood burner which are the centre piece of the living room.
Further information can be found on this link
and then click "shortlist" you will find the house.
Janet from Pennsylvania visits Inigo Slate Works
Janet from Pennsylvannia this week visited Inigo Jones Slate Works as part of her tour of Snowdonia to find her family roots.Janet's grand parents lived in Groeslon before emigrating to the USA in about 1895 and as he worked in one of the local quarries he would have been aware of the Inigo Jones Slate Works which has been in existence since 1861.
The trip was organised by Alwyn Griffiths of Celticos and Segontium Searchers a company from Caernarfon with over 25 year' experience in geneology assisted, in doing some research.
Many of the visitors from the USA do exactly what Janet is doing as so many emigrated from Snowdonia to the USA when the slate quarries were suffering owing to the depression.
John Lloyd of Inigo Jones said " Geneology is becoming more and more important and is certainly boosting visitor numbers from the USA,and it has tremendous potential to increase even more in the future"
Roger Davis another director from Inigo Jones welcomed Janet to the Tudor Slate Works and presented her with some slate coasters as a memento of her visit.The attached picture shows Roger Davis (2nd from the left) and others who accompanied Janet to Inigo Jones.
The Inigo Jones App
The Inigo Jones App is now available to download on the App Store, and is designed for both the iPhone and iPad.
Description - The Inigo Jones App offers an interactive audio tour of our slate workshop. You can wander through the workshops at your own pace and view the machines and craftsmen in action. There are also geological, historical, calligraphy and letter cutting exhibitions. Try your hand at calligraphy and engrave on a piece of slate that you get to keep. There is also a map and instructions for you to visit us whenever you want!
Made in association with Menter Mon's APPrentis scheme.
Download the App today, and come to see us and use it on the Workshop Tour!
Click Here to view the Inigo Jones App on the App Store!
Anglesey Circuit Plaque Trac Môn
Inigo Jones are delighted to have supplied the engraved Welsh slate plaque to mark the visit of Carwyn Jones, Wales First Minister to Trac Môn where he opened the new £1m development.
Coasters for Cymdeithas Tai Clwyd for Awel y Coleg
We are pleased to have recently supplied 200 coasters for Cymdeithas Tai Clwyd for Awel y Coleg, Y Bala.
Awel y Coleg in Bala opened in November 2012, comprising 30 units, 23 two bedroom and 7 one bedroom flats. The £6.5 million scheme is the first of it's kind in Gwynedd County.
Awel y Coleg is a housing provision that caters for people who want to live in their own home, but with the benefit of an on site, dedicated care team. For many, they provide an alternative to residential care. In an extra care scheme, you will retain your independence, whilst benefiting from a flexible level of care, which can be tailored to suit your changing needs, prolonging your independence and providing you with a home for life.
Menai Bridge Sea Food Festival
Inigo Jones are delighted to be attending the inaugural Menai Bridge Sea Food Festival this Saturday the 31st of August.
We will be selling a selection of our quality welsh slate products.
The event will have something for everybody and will include local food produce. Cooking demonstrations as well as arts crafts and music.
It is hoped that this will become an annual event.
For more details, visit - http://www.menaiseafoodfestival.com/2013/
Next Snowdonia Market at Inigo Jones on Bank Holiday Monday, August 26th
Snowdonia Market which is a group of local food suppliers next come to Inigo Jones on Bank Holiday Monday, August 26th.
The market has already been twice to Inigo Jones this summer both events were very successful and well attended.
The market is open from 10am to 4pm.
Outdoor Partnership Volunteer Award
Inigo Jones are again delighted to have supplied the Outdoor Partnership with 14 number, bespoke trophies, for the volunteer award.
The trophies are 150mm wide a 100mm high, and the logo has been printed in colour directly onto the slate.
Slate Prizes for BBC Radio Cymru's 'Y Talwrn'
We are delighted to have supplied a number of Welsh slate tea-light holders as prizes for BBC Radio Cymru's 'Y Talwrn'. The prizes will be presented to the victorious poets team at the National Eisteddfod, held in Denbigh this week.
Next Snowdonia Market at Inigo Jones on Sunday July 28th
Snowdonia Market which is a group of local food suppliers next come to Inigo Jones on Sunday July 28th.
The market has already been twice to Inigo Jones this summer both events were very successful and well attended.
The market is open from 10am to 4pm.
Welsh Slate plaques for Bangor Students
We are delighted to have again supplied a number of plaques for the Saudi Society at Bangor University. The plaques were presented to students who graduated with various different degrees at Bangor University in 2013, and the Saudi Society presented them all with especially made Welsh slate plaques at a special event held in Bangor.
Snowdonia at BBC Good Food Summer Show
Snowdonia Mountains & Coast had a stand at this year's show promoting both the region as a tourist destination and some of its quality food produce.
Samples of wine,cider and apple juice were available on the stand from Pant Du Winery in Penygroes and also award winning fudge from Eboni Ac Eifori in Pwllheli.
Inigo Jones supplied a bespoke slate stand for the exhibition stand.
John Lloyd from Inigo Jones said that " Gwynedd Council should be congratulated on their forward thinking in attending the BBC Good Food Guide at the NEC in Birmingham to promote the region and its quality produce, in its day catchment area, at this very well attended public exhibition"
Snowdonia Food Market comes to Inigo Jones
Snowdonia Market which is a group of local food suppliers have agreed to come to Inigo Jones on 4 dates this Summer.
The dates are Sunday May 26th, Saturday June 22nd,Sunday July 28th and Bank Holiday Monday 26th of August.
Amongst the producers attending the market are Tyddyn Mawr Meats Garndolbenmaen, Oinc Oink from Llithfaen, Village Veg from Waunfawr, Richlin Dairy Goats Products from Bryncroes, Eboni ac Eifori from Pwllheli, Aerona liqueur from Chwilog, Model Bakery from Blaenau Ffestiniog and number of cake producers such Debbie's Cake'Ole, Cegin Pennant and Popty Lleuar.
John Lloyd from Inigo Jones said " We are delighted to welcome Snowdonia Market here to Inigo Jones to promote high quality local Welsh produce, and we look forward to seeing both locals and visitors on these days to support local businesses"
Welsh Slate plaque for "Call the Midwife" Building
Inigo Jones recently supplied a replica Welsh slate plaque for Cressy House in the East End of London.Cressy House was used to film the recent popular BBC series of "Call the Midwife".
The builders plaque was lost many years ago and was erected in 1894 when the building was originally completed.
Cressy House has recently undergone a major renovation and Inigo Jones were contacted to see if they could match the original builders plaque that used to adorn the building of which the client had a photo of.
Inigo Jones were pleased to oblige and supplied a 1000 x 500 x 20mm Blue Grey Welsh Slate plaque with engraved lettering and a border line, all of which were in filled with 23 1/2 carat gold leaf as per the original.
Coronation Street Star Opens Welsh Slate Plaque
William Roache who plays Ken Barlow in Coronation Street,opened a Welsh slate plaque on the 12th of January 2013 supplied by Inigo Jones, to commemorate the recent £1.3m redevelopment of St David's Hospice / Hospis Dewi Sant.
William Roache MBE,the veteran actor, who was educated at Rydal School in Colwyn Bay, is patron of St David's Hospice in Llandudno.
St David's Hospice is a local charity providing end of life care, free of charge, to adult patients from across North West Wales and supporting those closest to them.
Engraved plaque for Pontio Centre,Bangor.
Inigo Jones engraved the foundation stone for the new Pontio Centre in Bangor. The foundation stone is Jura marble and it was officially laid at a ceremony on Friday 11th of January 2012 by Leighton Andrews A.M. Minister of Education and Skills.
The Pontio Centre's vision is
"To create an outstanding and sustainable Arts and Innovation Centre that will promote innovation by bridging arts, sciences and technology that will provide a dynamic driving force for the performing arts and the regeneration of the region."
Happy Christmas & a Prosperous New Year
Nadolig Llawen & Blwyddyn Newydd Dda
We close at 5pm Christmas Eve 24/12/2012 and then reopen as normal on Wednesday 27/12/2011 until 5pm on New Years Eve Monday 31/12/2011.
Showroom cafe & self guided tours open between Christmas and New Year. Why not take a bike ride or a walk from Caernarfon and back along Lon Eifion.
We reopen as normal again on Wednesday 2/1/2012.
Inigo Jones is looking forward to another Bright Christmas
Original local slate products make ideal Christmas presents
Inigo Jones Slate Works is looking forward to another busy Christmas. Last years best sellers were slate wine racks and place mats and they are expected to be high on the list again this year. A new product for this Christmas is a 4 type rustic tea light. Engraved slate nameplates and numberplates which are made to order are another popular item and make an original Christmas present. Orders that are for despatch must be placed by 14/12/2012 to ensure delivery by Christmas. Go online to order on our secure site www.inigojones.co.uk
The shop is open daily from 9am to 5pm including weekends and 5pm up to Christmas Eve.
Inigo Jones supply slate trophy for police Awards
Inigo Jones were commissioned to supply a Welsh Slate Trophy for the 2012 All Wales Special Constabulary Awards.
Lise Goss, the Temporary Specials and Volunteers Coordinator for North Wales Police said " We were delighted with the trophy that was presented at the Ceremony held recently in North Wales"
Welsh Slate Clocks for the Albert Hall
Inigo Jones recently supplied 12 bespoke printed Welsh Slate Clocks for the London Welsh Festival of male voice choirs held at the Albert Hall in London on the 13th of October 2012.
Inigo Jones has recently invested in a new printing machine that enables the company to supply small runs of bespoke printing, onto various slate products.
John Lloyd said " This allows us for the first time to produce short runs of slate products that can be printed in full colour at very competitive prices"
New promotional video for Inigo Jones
We have just produced a new promotional video for the company that give some background to the company, promotes the natural slate products the company produces and also gives an insight into the tour of the slate works which has become very popular over the years.
The video can be viewed on You Tube
Inigo Jones again supplied the engraved Aberllefenni Welsh slate bases for the 2012 Bafta Wales Awards.
The prestigious event was held at Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff Bay.
John Hefin won a BAFTA Special Award for Outstanding Contribution to Television Drama.
Craig Roberts won Best Actor, Sharon Morgan was Best Actress
and Marc Evans' Patagonia won 4 award.
Eddie Butler was crowned Best Writer for Lions '71 - a Green Bay production for BBC Cymru Wales. The programme which revisited the scenes of the British Lions victorious tour of New Zealand in 1971, also received the Gwyn Alf Williams award for its contribution to the understanding of the history of Wales.
Pic Eddie Butler
By Huw John, Cardiff
New Job opportunity at Inigo Jones Slate Works
We are seeking a slate works operator.
The job is hands on and includes the working of natural slate products.Machinery is used to cut,plane,polish and engrave slate and hand work is also necessary for final finishing.
New machinery includes a CNC machine both for engraving and printing directly onto slate.
The job will also involve dealing directly with customers and could eventually lead to full responsibility for running the production side of the company's facility.
The vast majority of the work is bespoke and is very varied from day to day.
Some previous experience would be preferable but not essential if the candidate is practical and fully motivated.
Hours 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday
39 hours per week
Occasional weekend overtime as necessary
Salary negotiable
Closing date 21/9/2012 Send your details by post or email.
Slate Trophies for GHA Livigunn Challenge 2012
GHA Livigunn are award winning consulting engineers with a turnover in excess of 9 million per annum, with offices in Cheadle,Frodsham, Leeds & St Albans.
Every other year the company holds the GHA Livigunn Challenge and this year it will be held in Betws y Coed, North Wales.
Inigo Jones have supplied the trophies this year out of Welsh slate, which was considered appropriate as the event is in the region.
The 2010 Event raised £23,000 for WaterAid. This years event will again be supporting WaterAid as well as a number of other local charities that each office has chosen.
Each team has 4 competitors and involves physical and mental challenges, on land and water.
The overall winners will collect the coveted GHA Livigunn Challenge Trophy, although the priority is to raise as much money as possible for the chosen events.
Inigo Jones can now supply bespoke trophies in small or large quantities.
Advance Booking Online
Self guided tours of the Slate Works at Inigo Jones can now be booked online
Also if a family books online (2 adults + 2 children) the company will supply a free colour booklet "Inigo Jones Past and Present" / "Inigo Jones Ddoe a Heddiw" worth £2.50
Also if you would like to book a number of attractions at the same time so you can plan your day in advance go to
Plaques for Saudi Society
We recently supplied 40 plaques for the Saudi Society at Bangor University.
The plaques were presented to students who graduated with various different degrees at Bangor University in 2012, and the Saudi Society presented them all with especially made Welsh slate plaques at a special event held in Bangor.
Faisal Alhorairy of the Saudi Society said " Inigo Jones produced these Welsh Slate plaques at short notice and we are delighted with the finished product which will give the students a permanent reminder of the happy time they spent studying in North Wales"
New Nameplate Range
Inigo Jones has increased its range of standard Welsh slate nameplates by adding a further 3 specially selected alphabets.
These fonts are Arial, Times New Roman Italic, and Uncialf and are now available online, together with the well established Times New Roman capitol and Gothic designs.
Lettering on the new nameplates can be supplied painted in white, silver or pale grey paint or finished in 23 1/2 carat gold leaf.
Welsh slate nameplates are 500 million years old and will compliment any property
The Urdd National Eisteddfod is one of Europe's largest cultural youth festivals, attracting thousands of competitors and visitors every year.
This year the Eisteddfod is in Glynllifon which is closeby to Inigo Jones Slate Works from June 4th to June 9th.
To mark the event Inigo Jones are producing a special limited edition coaster which will be available on its stand at the Eisteddfod for £1.50 each.
Gwynedd Headway Trek
John Lloyd completed the sponsored walk up Snowdon on Sunday 20th of May and raised £256.00 for Headway Gwynedd.
Many thanks to Martin Hughes for organising the Trek and to Mark Sykes the leader on the day.
Everybody enjoyed the walk and the opportunity to network.
John would like to thank his sponsors for their generous support for this excellent charity
John Lloyd a director of Inigo Jones & the Gwynedd Business Network is joining the sponsored walk organised by Headway Gwynedd on Sunday May 20th as part of the Gwynedd Business Week.
For further details of walk or if you would like to participate go to www.gwyneddbusnes.net and click on Events.
All money raised by John will be for Headway Gwynedd.
You can sponsor him by filling in sponsorship form available at Inigo Jones Slate Works or on our secure site by clicking on prequoted orders to the right of this page and enter HEADWAY GWYNEDD SNOWDON SPONSORED WALK together with your sponsorship.
Inigo Jones supply Titanic Plaque
A new Welsh slate plaque has been supplied by Inigo Jones for Harold Lowe, whose bravery saved a number of lives when the Titanic sank on the 15th of April 1912.
Harold spent his early childhood in Barmouth, Gwynedd and the plaque was unveiled there on the 15th of April 2012, exactly 100 years later,to commemorate his bravery.
The bilingual Welsh slate plaque was engraved and a hand painted colour picture of the Titanic was also painted onto it.
Roger Davis a director of Inigo Jones said " We were delighted and honoured to be commissioned to provide this important plaque which now records the bravery of Harold Lowe during the tragic sinking of the Titanic"
Inigo Jones supply bespoke clocks for Nigeria
Inigo Jones recently produced a number of bespoke slate clocks for the ESL Group. These clocks had the Welsh and Nigerian flag engraved and painted on and were given by the ESL Group to customers in Nigeria.The ESL Group who are based in Wrexham have recently built a new factory in Nigeria.
Welsh slate plaque for brave American soldier
Alun Howells whilst serving in the 1st Battalion,64th Armoured Regiment, was 20 years old when he was killed in Baghdad on the 13th of August 2007.He was leading a patrol through the streets of Baghdad when his vehicle was hit by an armour piercing grenade which killed him instantly.
Alun had said that if he paid the ultimate sacrifice he wanted to be cremated and his ashes scattered near where I grew up "in a wild place above the sea".As the family was brought up in Porthmadog his ashes were spread on a headland at Borth y Gest.
Alun was known as "The Welshman" amongst his army friends so Gwyn and Jaena his parents commissioned a Welsh slate plaque from Inigo Jones. The plaque was engraved with his name on, and a Welsh dragon and Gwyn and Jaena collected it when they were visiting the Porthmadog area in the spring of 2010.
The plaque was taken to Georgia and placed under Alun's tree in March 2011.
Nadolig Llawen a Bwyddyn Newydd Dda
As this historic 150th year for Inigo Jones draws to an end we would like to wish all our customers and their families a very Happy Christmas and a prosperous 2012.
We close at 5pm Christmas Eve 24/12/2011 and reopen as normal on Tuesday 27/12/2011 until 5pm on New Years Eve 31/12/2011.
We reopen as normal on Monday 2/1/2012.
Special 10% Discount
Inigo Jones are offering a special 10% discount on all shop stock from now until Christmas Eve.
The company has celebrated its 150th birthday this year and as this special year comes to an end it has decided to offer a 10% discount to all its customers.
Christmas 2011 at Inigo Jones
Inigo Jones are looking forward to another busy Christmas even in these difficult economic times.
Products from Inigo Jones offer good value for good quality hand crafted products from 500 million year old Welsh slate.
Best sellers this year are expected to be placemats,clocks,lazy susans and cheese boards.
A new product launched prior to Christmas 2011 is a 3 Tier cake stand which is expected to prove very popular for all occasions.
Web orders that require delivery before Christmas must be placed before December 12th.
The shop is open daily including weekends from 9am until 5pm up to and including Christmas Eve.
Donation to Air Ambulance Wales
As part of our 150th birthday celebrations we agreed to sponsor two charities.We have already made a donation to Ty Gobaith earler in the year.
We are today sending a donation of £100 to Air Ambulance Wales.
Sponsored walk for Ty Gobaith Childrens Hospice
A sponsored walk took place from Inigo Jones to Glynllfon on Saturday 16th April. Gwynedd Roberts gave a very interesting talk along the way about the historic gardens of Glynllifon.
Over £300 was collected for Ty Gobaith Childrens Hospice
Inigo Jones prefabricated the slate trophies for the 2011 Fast Growth Awards.
Professor Dylan Jones-Evans who is the creator of the Wales Fast Growth 50 project said this year
"After 13 years, the Fast Growth 50 project remains the key barometer of entrepreneurship in Wales."
Inigo Jones produced 14 slate trophies for different categories that were awarded on Friday 16th September at a Ceremony held at the Mercure Holland House hotel in Cardiff.
The overall winner this year was Afonwen Laundry from North Wales and Inigo Jones are delighted to congratulate Mark Wolfenden and his team that has seen his company increase turnover by a fantastic 1991.1% between 2008 and 2010.
The company now has four strategically located centres in Cardiff, Leeds, London and North Wales, and specialise in supplying hotels predominantly in the 4 star corporate hotel market as well as many of the nationwide Hotel groups in the rapidly growing budget hotel sector.
Spnsored Walk Cancelled
For reasons outside our control we have cancelled the sponsored walk to Glynllifon on Sunday September 4th, and instead we will make a donation to Air Ambulance Wales.
THE 1st QUEEN'S DRAGOON GUARDS
Inigo Jones & Co Ltd
500 MILLION YEAR OLD WELSH SLATE DEDICATED AT THE NATIONAL MEMORIAL ARBORETUM FOR THE 1st THE QUEEN'S DRAGOON GUARDS.
Inigo Jones & Co Ltd are celebrating their 150th anniversary this year and are delighted to have been involved in facilitating a large block of slate weighing over 2 tons from Blaenau Ffestiniog, which now proudly stands at the National Memorial Arboretum.
The block of Welsh slate is to commemorate those that have lost their lives on active duty from the 1st The Queens Dragoon Guards.
Slate was considered appropriate for this proud Welsh regiment and the block of slate is over 4 metres tall and weighs over 2 tons.
The monument was dedicated at a ceremony on Sunday 24th of July at the National Memorial Arboretum and John Lloyd Managing Director of Inigo Jones & Co Ltd who attended the Dedication service said
" We are absolutely delighted to have helped to provide this Welsh slate monolith that is a fitting tribute to those brave soldiers from the 1st The Queens Dragoon Guards."
Picture attached
The Regimental Chaplain, Padre A Bennett CF at the Dedication next to the slate.
Dorothea Quarry & Aberllefenni Slate Quarry
As part of Inigo Jones' 150th Celebrations two interesting talks by experts.
Monday July 25th 7pm at Inigo Jones
Talk by Dr Gwynfor Pierce Jones the local expert on slate quarrying in the Nantlle Valley
Tickets £3.50
Thursday July 28th 7pm at Inigo Jones
Talk by Jon Knowles who has taken numerous excellent pictures of the slate mine at Aberllefenni and suroundings.
Tickets £3.50
Welsh Slate Trophy for 2011Gwynedd Business Person of the Year Award
Inigo Jones supplied the Welsh Slate tophy for the 2011 Gwynedd Business Person of the Year Award.
The award was won by Richard Gloster Managing Director of Cadwaladers, and was presented at a Gala Dinner held at Y Galeri, Caernarfon.
Numerous other Awards were presented during the evening to recognise succcesful businesses in Gwynedd.
The Awards Ceremony is the highlight of the Gwynedd Business Week and its aim is to raise the profile and importance of the business sector to the Gwynedd economy.
Ieuan Rees Calligraphy & Lettercutting Courses
Ieuan Rees the well known Welsh callgrapher and lettercutter is running courses at Inigo Jones from 31/5 to 3/6/2011.
Ieuan has appeared on many TV programmes, and his work has been reproduced in many books.
He is regarded as one of Britain's most versatile artist/craftsmen in the fields of lettering, letter carving, calligraphy, architectural lettering and graphic communication. He has lectured and held workshops all over Britain, the USA, and in Sydney, Australia.
31/5 9.30 - 4.30 Calligraphy Course £70.00
1/6 9.30 - 4.30 Lettercutting Course £70.00
2/6 9.30 - 4.30 Calligraphy Course £70.00
2/6 7pm Lecture by Ieuan Rees " Living with Letters" Tickets £3.50
3/6 9.30 - 4.30 Lettercutting Course £70.00
To book contact Inigo Jones direct
Inigo Jones'150th Anniversary 1861 -2011
Inigo Jones Slate Works is celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2011 (1861 – 2011) having worked continuously at the Tudor Slate Works at Groeslon site since it was set up in 1861 to produce school writing slates.
Mr Alun Ffred Jones Minister for Culture and Heritage today March 4th 2011 unveiled an engraved Welsh slate plaque to commemorate the 150th anniversary.
The Heritage Minister said " I'd like to congratulate John Lloyd and his team on reaching this significant milestone.They've stayed faithful to the raw material of Welsh slate, the quality of which is second to none but have developed their products to keep up with the needs of the customer.The workshop is also a well known visitor attraction in the area giving an insight to working with slate"
Slate present for Dr Refaat
Inigo Jones provided a slate plaque that was presented to Dr Refaat by his fellow students on him passing his PhD at Bangor University.
May we take this opportunity to wish all our customers a very Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year in 2011.
We are closing 5pm on Friday 24th of December and reopening on Wednesday 29th of December.
We close at 5pm on Friday 31st December and reopen as normal on Sunday January 2nd of January 2011.
500 million year old welsh slate gifts make ideal original Christmas presents,
Original slate products make ideal Christmas presents
Inigo Jones Slate Works is looking forward to another busy Christmas this year.
Last years best sellers were slate coasters,lazy Susans, cheese boards and placemats and they are expected to be high on the list again this year.
A new product this year is a slate picture frame that is proving very popular also.
Engraved slate nameplates which are made to order are another popular item and make an original Christmas present.
Orders that are for despatch must be ordered by 10/12/2010 to ensure delivery by Christmas.
SLATE DONATED TO 1st THE QUEEN'S DRAGOON GUARDS
A Welsh slate monolith has been selected for a new memorial for 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards ("The QDG's") soon to be erected at the National Memorial Arboretum near Lichfield.
Welsh Slate was considered appropriate for this regiment which was originally raised in 1685,and assumed its present name in 1959 after amalgamation. The Regiment has had a very colourful history in its short existence. The Cavalry Regiment of the Wales and Border Counties has seen action all over the world and the new monument will be for those who have lost their lives whilst serving their country.
Inigo Jones & Co Ltd were approached for their assistance by the regimental solicitors. Gamlins Solicitors LLP in Bangor as Gamlins knew that Inigo Jones are a specialist slate company.
The monolith is 3.5 metres tall and weighs about 2 tons.
Inigo Jones & Co Ltd and Cwt y Bugail Cyf jointly agreed to donate this stone to 1st Queen's Dragoon Guards.
Dewi Williams who currently operates the slate quarry at Cwt y Bugail said
"We are absolutely delighted to have helped the Queen's Dragoon Guards by partly donating this Welsh slate to the brave soldiers of this Welsh Regiment and look forward to seeing it in its place in Lichfield in the near future"
Lt Colonel W.R.Brace MBE. BEM the Regimental Secretary of the Queen's Dragoon Guards came to Blaenau Ffestiniog to witness the welsh slate commencing its journey to Cardiff for engraving before it is erected in Lichfield.
Attached pictures
1. Lt Colonel Brace ( left) and John Brooke(right) thanking John Lloyd ( centre right) & Dewi Williams(centre left) for their kind donation before the slate was loaded.
Solid Slate Patio Sets
Riven and Polished natural Green and Black slate patio sets each comprising of table and 3 curved benches.
Table is 1.100mm / 43" diameter and the base is supplied in 2 pieces that interlock together so is easy to lift and transport.
The 3 benches are 127cms / 50" long and are already glued together and each are supplied in one piece.
Now on special offer until 31/12/2010
£556.00 Collected including VAT
Completely Maintainence free
Slate Quarry Album Book Launch now postponed
The book launch of the " Slate Quarry Album " witten by Gordon & Ann Hatherill was to take place at Inigo Jones on April 1st 2010 at Inigo Jones Slate Works.
This has now had to be postponed owing to the fact that Gordon has a heart problem and is undergoing treatment.
We wish Gordon a speedy recovery and hope to rearrange the launch later in the year.
The book is written by Gordon and Ann who met whilst working as volunteers on the Tal y Llyn Railway, and tells the story of slate tramways and equipment. This book resulted from many holiday family visits to North Wales which is very well written researched and illistrated. John Lloyd of Inigo Jones Slate Works said
" This book is excellent for those interested in slate quarries and helps to explain so many of the past relics"
Christmas and New Year at Inigo Jones
Inigo Jones are looking forward to another busy Christmas and New Year.The shop and cafe are open until 5pm on Christmas Eve and then reopen again as normal on Saturday 26th and are just closed on New Years Day and reopen again as normal on January 2nd 2010.
Locals and visitors to the area are looking for things to do over the Christmas break and this is why we feel it is so important to be open over this holiday period.
Lon Eifion runs past Inigo Jones Slate Works and is an ideal safe walk or bike ride from Caernarfon to Groeslon and back.
Inigo Jones supply Slate Trophies and Coasters for Splash Worlds
Crews from all over the world attended Pwllheli from the 8th to the 14th of August for the Splash Worlds,the majority of them from the Netherlands. The Splash sailors are all under 18 whilst those over 18 continue into the Flash class, which is the same boat with a larger sail.
The President of the International Splash Class Luuk Feikens opened the event with over 400 competitors and families attending in the large marquee at Pwllheli Sailing Club.
Inigo Jones Slate Works provided purpose made welsh slate trophies and coasters for the event.
This is yet another prestigous sailing event held in Pwllheli and Inigo Jones were delighted to be asked to supply welsh slate for the event.
Welsh Slate at Bafta Cymru Awards
Engraved Aberllefenni Welsh slate bases were cut shaped and engraved by Inigo Jones Slate Works and used as bases on this years Bafta Cymru Awards, held recently at the Millennium Centre in Cardiff.
The bases were used to support the coveted Bafta Cymru Mask, which was created by Toby Petersen and based on a design by American sculptor Mitzi Cunliffe.
John Lloyd one of Inigo Jones' directors said
"We were delighted to supply welsh slate bases for such a prestigious event
New BareFoot Trail at Greenwood Forest Park
A new BareFoot Trail was recently opened by Mr Alun Ffred Jones,the Welsh Assembly Government Minister for Heritage, and a slate plaque was supplied by Inigo Jones to mark the event.
The Minister praised GreenWood Forest Park for their success and stated how important tourism was to Snowdonia.He is confident that 2009 will be a successful year for tourism as so many UK residents are going to holiday at home this year, he believes, owing to the strength of the Euro and Dollar against the pound.
Resurgence in demand for Dragon's Tongue Whetstones
There has been a huge resurgence in demand for welsh slate honing stones as a result of the World Wide Web.These welsh slate stones prefabricated from 500-million-year old welsh slate from the Aberllefenni quarry used to be produced in their thousands in the early 1900s to go into toolkits.
As a result of recent discussions and recommendations on specialist forums such as www.straightrazorplace.com and www.forum.nassrasur.com, orders have been received from all over the world.
The proprietor John Lloyd said " It is very exciting that demand has been created all over the world for this classic welsh product as a result of consumers discussing and recommending our Dragon's Tongue whetstones"
Technology frees slate works employees for creative tasks
Headlines from article that appeared in Western Mail on 30th October 2008.
Aled Blake wrote "There some good news for manufacturing in Wales yesterday after a slate firm in Caernarfon reported a 70% increase in production.
Technological support from Manufacturing Advisory Council, Wales has enabled the company to increase production, accuracy and consistency but without compromising the hand-crafted nature of its products.
Ieuan Wyn Jones, Minister for the Economy and Transport, said this is good news and that Inigo Jones has made a significant contribution to the local economy for nearly 150 years and remains a highly successful company because it has adapted to changing markets and always been in the forefront of innovation"
Unusual Slate Nameplate
Inigo Jones supply over 1,000 nameplates every year all over the world. One supplied recently was a bit different as it featured Mickey Mouse.
Railway returns to Inigo Jones Slate Works
A miniature railway will be running at Inigo Jones at Easter, May Day and Spring Bank Holiday.
Lon Eifion was the old railway line which ran from Criccieth to Caernarfon and Inigo Jones had its own siding known as Grafog Sidings. The line was axed by Beeching in the 60's and so it is nice to see a railway back for the first time in over 40 years which is expected to be a big attraction for both locals and tourists.
Unusual Memorial Plaque
Inigo Jones recently supplied an unusual slate memorial plaque in the shape of a dart board.
David John Williams was the local League Secretary for a number of years and so the local League decided it would be appropriate to honour his memory with this unusual slate plaque
Sailing Trophies Galore
Inigo Jones Slate Works have supplied a number of slate trophies for World and National Sailing Championships held in Pwllheli this summer.
Over 400 trophies were supplied for the Cadet World Sailing Championships and 54 were supplied for the Merlin Rocket 2007 National Championships.
Pwllheli Sailing Club now hosts many World and National Sailing Championships and is getting an excellent reputation for excellent facilities, organisation and good sailing.
New Water Wheel at Inigo Jones Slate Works
Tuesday May 1st 2007
New Landmark at Local Tourist Attraction
Visitors to Inigo Jones Slateworks will have an additional reason to go to the attraction this spring and summer. A waterwheel celebrating the history of 'the works' has been erected which is a scaled down version of the original that was there.
At one stage a 25' waterwheel used to drive all the machinery in the mill. This had to be dismantled in 1952 since the channel that arched over the road carrying the water from the stream at Grafog became too low. This happened when there was the introduction of new double decker buses carrying passengers from Caernarfon to Porthmadog. The reconstructed waterwheel is similar to the original but is a scaled down version with a 10' diameter.
Company Director, John Lloyd is delighted with the new landmark:
"Ideally we would have like to keep the scale and location of the original but costs would have been prohibitive. This is the perfect compromise and the site gives visitors an excellent view of the new feature. The history of the attraction comes alive and we are hoping the new addition will be as fondly thought of as the original."
When the original waterwheel came down such was the strength of feeling that a local reporter felt moved to write a six verse poem in Welsh about it. The poem talks about "the big, old wheel of Grafog" and is a sentimental depiction of the loss of its presence to the area. The first verse goes like this:
"Mi ddwedaf wrthych chydig bach
O hanes olwyn hynod
Bydd yn bo hir, nis bydd ar gof
Mae bellach wedi darfod
Tros llawer blwydd bu plant y fro
Yn chwarae iti'n fywiog
Tra'r ffrwd ymdroellai'r trwy dy gafn
Hen Olwyn Fawr y Grafog"
The erection of the new waterwheel is the latest stage of a development plan which is on-going at Inigo Jones. Last year saw new landscaping and an improved frontage and there are further exciting plans in the pipeline to develop the e-commerce side of the business where visitors can buy slate and garden products on line.
For further information contact: John Lloyd, Inigo Jones Slateworks, Groeslon, Caernarfon Tel: 01286 830 242 E: email@example.com or visit www.inigojones.co.uk
Slate of Hand - New Book Launch held at Inigo Jones on March 23rd 2007
Inigo Jones & Co Ltd were delighted to hold the first launch in the United Kingdom of a new book
"Slate of Hand: Stone for Fine Art & Folk Art"
written by American writers Judy and Ted Buswick.The book investigates slate quarry regions on both sides of the Atlantic.
The book demonstrates how Welsh slate has been used by celebrity artists Andy Goldsworthy, Richard Long and Philip King for some of their works now on display internationally. Welsh artists featured include Bill Rice, Howard Bowcott, Ivor Richards, Sara Humphreys and Bill Swann.
"Slate of Hand" proves that slate has inspired artists around the globe, with slate art exhibited in museums, and as decorations in homes.
Original slate products make ideal Christmas presents
Inigo Jones Slate Works is looking forward to another busy Christmas this year.
Last years best sellers were slate wine racks and placemats and they are expected to be high on the list again this year.
A new product is a slate picture frame that is proving very popular also.
Engraved slate nameplates which are made to order are another popular item and make an original Christmas present.
Orders that are for despatch must be ordered by 30/11/2006 to ensure delivery by Christmas.
Orders can be placed online on our secure site www.inigojones.co.uk
In order to make the range of items that we produce and sell, even more accessible we have covered our display area in light coloured Cotswold stone so that our fine Welsh slate products are shown to their best effect.
We now have a small 'Garden' area showing the range of slate chippings and Garden furniture.
We also have displays of our flooring and paving tiles.
There are many other garden features to see including sundials, birdbaths, water features, slate models and Celtic engravings.
Our facelift also includes a fine display of hanging baskets and other plants.
Dont just take our word for it, come and see for yourself. We are open 7 days a week from 9.00am until 5.00pm. Everyone is welcome at INIGOJONES.
Inigo Jones launch new web site
Inigo Jones Slate Works launch their new website on March 18th 2004.
The new site offers all the company's products on a secure site. Shopping is made easy and nameplates made form 500 million year old welsh slate can now be ordered easily online and delivered anywhere in the world.
Enquiries can also easily be sent for products that the company makes to order, and there is technical information also provided.
Information on the tour of the slate works is also included and group bookings can be easily made online.
The web site was constructed by Blue Sky Technologies of Colwyn Bay and the secure payment site is provided by Secure Trading of Bangor North Wales, thus ensuring local welsh businesses are supported in line with the company's policy.
John Lloyd one of the company's director said "The new site was made possible by financial support from the Wales Tourist Board and it is now possible for orders to be placed for our quality slate products by anyone in the world "
New book
A new book " Welsh Slate Craft" by Alun John Richards is being launched at Inigo Jones Slate Works at midday on Friday April 28th.
Alun John Richards is a renowned expert on the Welsh Slate industry and is the author of eight titles on the slate districts and heritage of Wales.
The new book is 104 pages illistrated in colour and black and white and it chronicles the triumphs and the tradegies, the hardships and the hopes of this great industry and its people.
John Lloyd a director of Inigo Jones Slate Works stated " We are absolutely delighted that Alun is launching his new book "Welsh Slate Craft" here at Tudor Slate Works,Y Groeslon, and it is very appropriate to have the event here, as the company has been established on this site since 1861, and has diversified its products over the years,continuing to use the same raw material namely Welsh Slate.
Today the company prefabricates architectural memorial and craft products and is now open to the public for self guided tours of the slate works.There is also a new modern showroom as well as a cafe which is open to the public all year round"
The launch will take place at midday on Friday April 28th followed by a buffet lunch.
Alun will be signing copies of the new book in the showroom at Inigo Jones Slate Works between 1pm and 2pm.
For further information contact
John Lloyd 01286 830242
Inigo Jones & Co Limited, Y Groeslon Caernarfon are delighted that they have been commissioned yet again to produce welsh slate plaques for the winner and finalists of the Gulbenkian Prize for 2006.
The Gulbenkian Prize is awarded to the best Musuem and Gallery in the United Kingdom and the £100,000 prize for the winner is the single biggest arts prize awarded in Britain.
The circular welsh slate plaques are engraved and presented to the winner and finalists who then proudly display them at their musuem.The winner will be announced on the 25th May 2006.
John Lloyd one of Inigo Jones' directors stated
" We are delighted to have been awarded the conract again this year to produce welsh slate plaques for the prestigious Gulbenkian Prize.Last year it was won by Big Pit ,and on the long list this year is the National Waterfront Musuem in Swansea and being totally biased I hope it will be another welsh winner again this year ! "
Inigo Jones Slate Works is now a quality assured visitor attraction. The Wales Tourist Board inspected the slate works in June 2004 and passed the attraction and they can now display a VAQAS plaque made from natural welsh slate.
John Lloyd the company's Managing Director said " We are delighted to be recognised as a quality assured visitor attraction,that is a quality mark that the customer will become more and more familiar with, as the Wales Tourist Board more actively promotes the scheme"
Inigo Jones supplied welsh slate
plaques for the 2004 and 2005
Gulbenkian awards and were
delighted when the 2005 winner
was Big Pit from South Wales.
The winning plaque is proudly
displayed at Big Pit which is
now one of Wales' major attractions
Engraved Slate plate commisioned from Inigo Jones
This special engraved slate plate was produced to order by Inigo Jones to mark the special campaign by the walled towns of Chester,Caernarfon,Denbigh,Beaumaris and Conwy.
Inigo Jones specialises in items made to order for special events.


text:
Not registered yet?
Register now! It is easy and done in 1 minute and gives you access to special discounts and much more!
Simply add water and the Live Target Largemouth Bass comes to life. Avid anglers will appreciate the fine detail and skilled craftsmanship in this ultra life-like model. The advanced weight transfer system enables anglers to cast longer distances, even into moderate headwinds. The swimming action is scientifically engineered to deliver a realistic light wobble combined with a gentle rolling action, tantalizing Bass, Walleye and Northern Pike into explosive assaults.
We don't have any customer reviews for this product yet
© 2015. LandBigFish.com LLC


text:
I am so pleased to present this Soapbox Spotlight today--because this installment of Spotlight is my 100th post! Today's Spotlight author is Kyra Gregory, a YA fantasy novelist from Malta. She is here talking about her latest work, Secrets Clad in Light.
Welcome, Kyra! Tell us about yourself.
I'm a young writer from the island of Malta. As I write and self-publish, I'm studying to become a teacher for early years. My family says I've been writing since a very young age; this developed from short stories to fan fictions, lyrics for a bands, and novels. I have a real passion for reading manga (Japanese comic books), and they're probably the only thing that can steal me away from writing.
Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
I was always picking out my favourite moments in things I'd seen or read or even things I'd felt and then making a story out of them. I was always reading; story-telling seemed quite natural to me at the time. Years later, I was writing lyrics to a song a friend of mine had composed; you could say I had been caught because I'd had no intention of showing them to him. From then on, I was continuously encouraged by him to keep writing lyrics. I did so but my passion was always more in prose so I kept writing stories, first with fan fiction and short stories and novels later on.
What inspires you to write and why?
Plenty of things inspire me and I think the only thing they all have in common with each other is that they evoke feeling out of me, a deeper emotion. A lot of my stories are very much character-driven which I find enjoyable because everyone is so unique; their feelings and actions to a situation, different combinations of people make completely different stories and I love exploring that. An issue that needs to be talked about is something that inspires me to shed some light on it in the most relatable way possible.
Tell us about your latest work. Can you share a little of it with us?
It could be said that I got a lot out of writing this story. It was achieving a massive goal that I'd had set in my mind a long time ago. I had wanted to write a story in 19th Century London, my favourite period, but found it so incredibly difficult. It's a moving and mysterious story.
London,1888. Henry decides to abandon all social conventions and rescue his lover, Seth, from an abusive household. He has replayed the moment in his head and has always known it wouldn't be easy. He has never thought that it would be Seth who would cut his time too short. With Seth barely breathing, Henry must make the hardest decision of his life: try to save Seth, possibly condemning him to a life of suffering, or let him pass on in peace. But the arrival of a young stranger forces Henry's hand, doing little to ease his qualms of uncertainty as everything he thought he knew changes.
Caught between self-doubt and his own selfish desires Henry learns to fight it all, using this stranger as a light to shine on what he hopes is the right path... All the while aware that there is still so much he doesn't yet know...
That sounds interesting! Can you tell us a little about your main character?
Henry knows what he wants and prepared himself for all the consequences that would come from trying to get it, but when the circumstances change and things don't go as he's imagined, he is instantly lost. He has enough self-awareness to realise that his desires can border selfishness and this makes making decisions extremely difficult for him. He's also a very caring, loving character but he's not trusting by nature; that kind of conflict within him gets him into a lot of trouble.
How did you develop your plot and characters?
They developed almost all by themselves to be perfectly honest with you. I first came up with the idea for this story when I was completing Lady in Red; there were two characters in that novel that I wondered how they would have developed had the circumstances been a little bit different. After many failed attempts at writing a story effectively in 19th Century London I chose to try again and once I developed the circumstances for Henry things went on from there. There was little intention for the story to become as mysterious as it did. The character Mary became unlike any other character I had written before; she was more mysterious than I thought she would be, even to myself. I felt intrigued by her but she also scared me. She definitely made writing the story a challenge but absolutely exciting at the same time.
It's amazing and wonderful to watch your characters become real people with depth of personality! Do you feel you have you developed a specific writing style?
I would say that I've developed a writing style that suits me best, but I don't think I could quite describe it even if I wanted to. I suppose the reason is because I always adapt it to whatever I'm writing at the time. Since I write so many different genres my writing style changes to suit the story. For Secrets Clad in Light, I wrote in a way that I don't think I have before in order to suit a period in which I had never written before. Historical fiction is tricky because you need to try to make the dialogue suit the time but also keep it understandable for readers. I worked with my style to try to find a balance in that.
How do you come up with new novel ideas?
I'm inspired by so many things, but usually my novel ideas come from a character. Sometimes I would want to experiment with a character and their qualities, and I start to build a story around them. You could say it's like a puzzle because frankly I don't know where the bigger ideas come from sometimes. It's very much like putting together a puzzle without knowing at all what the end result will look like until I'm further into the writing process.
Are you a pantser or a plotter?
I would have to say I'm a plotter. I don't particularly try to be but the thing is that I often have plenty of novel ideas in my head at one time and I consider it a shame if I were to just let them disappear like that. While writing a novel I begin scribbling a few notes for another story; by the time I'm ready to start that story I already have one or two others in my head. In order for me to effectively keep all the feelings and scenes pertaining to a particular story in the right place I've learnt to plot things efficiently. This doesn't mean that things don't change or that I keep myself confined, spontaneity is good for the soul after all, but it definitely helps. It also means that I write stories a lot faster which I'm happy about.
What do you love about independent publishing?
For how much work it is it's all worth it for me. I tried traditional publishing and it never happened because there were problems from the start. I'm a control freak; I want my hand in all aspects of my projects. I have a vision of what I'm creating and I'd like to stick to that vision. It's not as though I won't accept others opinions but it means that in the end what closest fits my vision will be what I decide to do. There's no one around to tell me "you can't do that" and I love that.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Still writing, definitely. Writing, being able to write like this, means the most to me right now so I hope that in five years time I hope I'd have even more time to devote to writing. After all, the thing I'm most passionate about is the thing I want to do all the time, no matter how tough things may get.
Thanks for joining us, Kyra!
Thank you so much for having me!
You can find Kyra at the following links:
Blog: http://kyralyrical.wordpress.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kyra_lyrical
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6444174.Kyra_Gregory
You can find Kyra's book at the following links:


text:
The brother of a Kent woman kidnapped with her husband by Somali pirates has criticised the support the family received from UK authorities.
Stephen Collett said he was given contradictory advice as he negotiated for almost a year to secure the release of Paul and Rachel Chandler.
The Chandlers, formerly from Tunbridge Wells, were released when Mr Collett paid a ransom of about £300,000.
The Foreign Office said: "A dedicated team… did everything they could."
The Chandler's ordeal began when their yacht was seized in October 2009.
Almost every morning for a year Mr Collett, who lives in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, spoke to the men who held his sister hostage.
"When I first started talking to them I found it very difficult and I would sometimes be in tears at the end of it," he said
During negotiations with the Somali pirates Mr Collett said he had felt out of his depth.
"The Metropolitan Police come in and give you some advice, they make suggestions as to things to say and how to act, but all the time with the Met it's if there's any money mentioned then they pull out and you are on your own."
Emergency committee
For the first three months, Mr Collett said he tried to avoid any mention of money however, at the same time he said the Metropolian Police had always advised him that he was not going to get out of this without paying a ransom.
Together with his siblings and Paul Chandler's sister, Mr Collett set up an emergency committee when they realised the only way to get the couple home was to pay.
The family paid $440,000 in ransom which, at the time, was about £300,000 and the couple were released on 14 November 2010.
Mr Collett said the Foreign Office moved too slowly and did not support the family.
In a statement the Foreign Office said: "A dedicated team… did everything they could to secure the couple's safe release.
"We used our contacts to gain information which we shared with the family."
The Chandlers have paid some of the ransom money back to the family after they sold their story.
Mr Collett said he was not asking them to pay the full amount, he was just glad that they were safely home.
"Several times they threatened to kill them, you have to remind them every time they do that because if a hostage is dead they've got nothing to bargain with," he said.
Paul and Rachel Chandler now live in Dartmouth, Devon and are currently refitting their boat and planning to go off sailing again to finish the trip they started.
The Metropolitan Police did not want to comment.
This article was posted by Neptune Maritime Security via bbc.co.uk. MaritimeSecurity.Asia in cooperation with www.neptunemaritimesecurity.com


text:
SMEs: Do's and Don'ts With Social Networks
Bangalore: In the modern business environment, companies work hard not only to provide high quality services but also deliver it to customers on time, efficiently and to survive the competition, they have to be connected to customers 24/7.
When it comes to SMEs, their inability to spend huge amounts on advertising and marketing has always been a factor which has dragged them from reaching out to the wider and diverse client base across geographies. However, the spectacular rise of social networks has changed this trend to an extent.
Today any company situated in remote locations can connect to its clients across the globe through social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. These platforms help companies to keep clients updated about new product launches, feature changes and help them build and maintain long lasting relationship with customers, which is considered important for success of every business. Social media is the game changer of the decade "Social media technologies offer greater potential for effective use of IT, which has been identified as a key driver for increasing productivity gains in SMEs" said Dr. Tom Wielicki, Professor of Business at the Craig School of Business.
Some big players like Dell, Visa business have their network page designed for social networks. Dell claims to have made over $1 million from their Twitter feed. Careful steps are to be taken while integrating social media into business because if the platform not used properly, it may create a negative impact on the company. Here we list some dos' and don'ts while integrating the social networks into SMEs.
Here is what SMEs should consider while entering the social platform.
Determine Level of Engagement Required
While you start to use a social media platform, be clear about the objectives or what the platform should be used for and you should stick to the same. For example, if you manufacture a water meter, then you should bring consumers to the upfront by keeping them posted about problems in water management and wastage minimization. This will add credibility to your page and will eventually increase your follower base.
Perseverance is the Key
You cannot have millions of followers and discussions in a short span of time. Patience is the key and it will pay you in long time. You can also outsource the work to content generation and social media management companies, which will bring a professional outlook to your page.
Keep the Employees in Loop
You should keep the employees on the platform since there is nothing better than employees speaking good about the company. You can increase the engagement level by making communications like team parties through the page.
Keep your Page Updated
The information on your social network platform should never be obsolete. It will bring a bad image to your company. You should also be quick in responding to the queries of the consumers so that their questions won't stay unanswered for weeks.
Be Careful with Words You Use
Use of right languages in postings is very important as there is a chance for consumers to feel offended by something you post, which will turn off future clients. For example, when Siamak Taghaddos, co-founder of Chargify called the customers "freeloaders" in his Twitter account, it became a controversy among his followers and eventually caused a loss of 35 customers.
Always be Honest in Your Communication
Do not give over estimations and lie to your consumers because people will find out eventually and when they do, they will not be sympathetic in criticizing your company. A recent study by Loyalty One showed that the consumers are more likely to tell others about a bad experience or product than the good one.
Post your Comment
All form fields are required.